The Baker Street Irregular

I remember being little, watching The Great Mouse Detective over and over again and being terrified when Ratigan and Basil fought inside Big Ben. I remember watching a 10 minute cartoon featuring Holmes as a dog, bending forward with his magnifying glass to inspect the ground. I might not have understood the references, but even back then, I loved the character. That was just the beginning.

Fast-forward several years later. My friend Alex recommended that I check out the Sherlock Holmes movie, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. It took some convincing but I eventually relented. I loved it, and immediately hit the bookstore to see if I could find the original stories.

Image from wikipedia.org

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published the first Holmes story, A Study in Scarlet, in 1887. Despite his distaste for Holmes, and even a failed attempt to kill him off, Doyle continued writing Holmes adventures until he retired him permanently in 1927.

Except it's now 2013. One hundred and twenty-six years since Holmes' first appearance, and he is still everywhere. I've explored several adaptations, ranging from radio shows, to movies, to canon and non-canon (work by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and works written by other authors) stories. There is an alarming amount of material to sift through. However, I have yet to see, any Basil Rathbone adaptatipon, and many Holmes fans would consider this blasphemy.

A brief explanation: The Sherlock Holmes series began in 1939. It is hailed by many Holmes fans as the quintessential adaptation. They believe that if you're going to indulge in any version of Sherlock Holmes that is not canon, it should be Rathbone's Holmes.

What I'm saying is that I've committed a horrible sin as a Sherlock Holmes fan.

So my plan over the course of the next few months is to watch Basil Rathbone's adaptations, and check out some other Holmes – or Holmes-inspired – material, and discuss those here, along with the ones I've already seen. At the end I will see if what I think is the best Holmes adaptation changes once I've seen Rathbone in action.

Dig out your tobacco pipes and don your deerstalkers: The game is afoot.

Kora Burnham

Kora is a self-proclaimed paper and book hoarder. She enjoys horseback riding and farm work. She was saved by a llama once. She likes to read, write, drink tea, listen to music, play video games, and watch television. Occasionally, she takes naps.

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